Where did the time go??

August 12, 2016

I have been so busy, I’m afraid that sewing has taken a back seat. Started a new vegetable garden, and have been trying to get our back yard into shape. We’ve had oodles of rain so everything is growing great. That includes the grass and weeds. This is the second year I have noticed strange new vines that are growing into my trees, hence the need to get out do something with the yard. This is a picture of the new raised beds. That is lemon grass coming out of the far box and cucumber behind it.

I had some plums earlier and made plum chutney and jam. Then the berries started showing up in the stores and with the low prices I bought a lot and made enough jam for the next year. I’m still looking for the perfect salsa recipe for canning. We got a 20 pound box of tomatoes at the farmers market and I canned them all. My slicing tomatoes are also doing well. It was so much fun designing the jar labels. It was a break from the computer art work I usually do. By now your wondering if I did do any new patterns, aren’t you?

I did get a couple of new dolls. First is Paola Reina. She is a 12.5 inch play doll with rooted hair and the sweetest face. She is child, maybe 8-10. I love her body and how easy she is to sew for. She is as pretty as Dianna Effner’s Little Darlings and you could have 6 of these for the same price as the Little Darling. They can’t share clothes without a lot of adjusting.

I also got some slim 18 inch girls, the Toys R Us Journey Girls and a Madam Alexander My Style. My other 18 inch girls, but just aren’t made anymore and really seem to be more like the American Girl body with the big shoulders. I just buy dolls I like and American Girl just wasn’t my cup of tea. I like the Journey Girls body the best and think Toy R Us does a nice job with the accessories. So I have added the Slim 18″ dolls and my new Paola to my collection. It’s sad that Robert Tonner will be discontinuing his most of his Wentworth line. He had some pretty faces, unlike Antoinette who to me is very manish in features. I guess for those who repaint the face it was great.

I would like to know if you are planning or have bought any of his new line. I fear that Agatha Primrose is too small. Easy to display, but hard to sew for. She looks to me like a young teen but still Barbie size. I think she is very pretty and I love the open mouth. I wish he had done bendy knees for Anne Estelle, although I don’t like the legs of Patsy and I do guess that would be the option. It is very costly bringing a doll to market.

Last but not least, is the new style. Yes it is just one style which I did for multiple dolls, well two for the big girls. I hoping it won’t take me so long on the next pattern set. This is the pattern called Flower Girl. It has a sleeveless dress with matching coat. It is on my Little Darling. She shows off the front of the coat. I used a linen type cotton fabric and lined it in matching broadcloth. The flowers are crocheted and I had them from back when I did design kids clothes. The dress is sleeveless so it isn’t a problem with sliding a sleeve into a coat sleeve. Simple, but with lots of possibilities for dressing this up or down. I can see the coat in velveteen for the holidays with a traditional taffeta dress under it.

I guess it is time to start thinking about the Christmas pattern. Who should I do it for? Suggestions!

Comments

Hi Oriole, Glad to hear from you. I also have one of the Paola Reinas dolls mine is Lui. Such sweet faces. I actually used one of your Little Darling patterns and made a dress for her. You might like to look at The Maru Dolls (Maru and Friends) sculpted by Dianna Effner 20 inches and so beautiful.

Today is my birthday so it’s so nice to hear from you and I just may treat myself to a new pattern….Lynne

Hi Lynne,
Happy Birthday. I did have a look at that doll. She is pretty, but on Amazon they had a photo of her in a strapless dress and I didn’t care for the joints.
Do you have her? May it was just that picture. Her arms look very long. One of my favorite Effner dolls was the Storybook dolls she did for Ashton Drake. I wish I had bought all of them.

Hi Oriole, I do have have one of the dolls. I just undressed her The body is very in proportion. Not to thrilled with the sloping shoulders but they are covered when dressed. The face is wonderful. The body is the same as the Little Darlings just bigger. They will be putting out a Little Darling sized doll about Christmas time. I will be getting one as It will fit the Little Darling patterns you designs no way can I afford a LD but the Maru mini pal is just as good. They are well painted and very nice quality wigs

If I have time tomorrow I will take a picture and show the naked truth. May just try and up size one of your LD patterns and see if it fits…Will let you know how that experiment turns out…..>ynne

I feel similar to you about American Girl – the furniture and accessories are great but the dolls don’t ddo anything for me – having to always put them ins styles with high-necklines and at least some sleeve so that the transition from vinyl head/limb to fabric body wasn’t glaringly obvious… it just put me off them.

Magic Attic dolls (another discontinued Tonner line) were much better in my opinion, and slimmer in the body too, so they looked better in closer-fitting styes.